Have you heard about Facebook, LinkedIn and ZoomInfo? These trends are shaping today's job searches and employee hiring.

Significantly impacting the way young professionals and even some oldsters manage their careers, they have left Monster.com in the dust. They are new weapons in the war for talent, and at the very least, you should know about them - especially if you are on the other side of the fence looking for top performing employees.

Better still, these new technological tools should cause you to rethink how you can manage the talent war. After all, you want to compete successfully.

Savvy Networkers Heat Up the War for Talent

If Monster.com is history, what's the latest trend?

Networks. Not the closely-knit circles we are all familiar with, but intricate webs that connect professionals to hundreds of contacts.

Students today leave campus with dozens of friends in their Facebook network, and they stay connected with this on-line directory. Power networkers, they share unprecedented amounts of information at unbelievable speeds - job, technical and salary information, and more.

Likewise, those a little older now use next-generation networks such as LinkedIn and Ryze to track and expand their personal networks.

And both use online services such as ZoomInfo to gather information about themselves into profiles with a professional focus.

So where does this information lead those of us hiring employees?

Obviously, these are powerful tools for the job seeker. But their breadth and power can impact the hiring manager's job, too. They give employers invaluable tools for finding qualified matches and excellent performers. For example, tapping into search engines, job recruiters can access services like ZoomInfo to cull information about candidates.

Even so, the problem of how to attract and select the best candidates for a job still remains.

Tips: How to Attract and Hire Top Performers

If you want high performance in your organization, here's rule #1: Attract and hire terrific people in the first place.

How? Pay your employees with more than just money.

Money attracts, retains and motivates employees. But the quality of work itself and our relationships with others at work is what draws us to the best organizations and keeps us there performing at peak effectiveness.

According to a National Study of the Changing Workforce published by the Families and Work Institute, earnings and benefits have only a 2% impact on job satisfaction.

Job quality and workplace support, on the other hand, have an impact 35 times that: 70%.

But let's suppose that attracting employees is not a problem for your organization…determining whom to hire is. Consider these tips:ScreeningScreening aids like application forms, résumés, past employment and education information, and personal references certainly help sort strong from weak candidates.

Bear in mind, however, each often supplies flawed information. Studies show, for example, that more than half of applicants lie or exaggerate in applications and on résumés. Reference checks often reveal the same flawed information.

You can overcome these challenges. Start by having a consistent process, with consistent questions and used consistently with each candidate you are reviewing.

InterviewingIn interviewing, remember you are not trying to find a friend. You are selecting an employee. Too many decisions are based solely on a first impression. (63% of hiring decisions are made in the first five minutes.)

Take time with each applicant and always interview a candidate twice before hiring him or her. Even though it appears you have the right candidate, be willing to change. Most important, be patient with the hiring process. Don't rush to a decision.

Job MatchingAbove all, when hiring do not try to cram a square peg into a round hole. Compare your candidate to the requirements of the position.

Do job demands match the candidate's abilities?

Does the job match his particular interests?

Do the position's cultural demands match her personality?

In other words, conduct a job match rather than a job search.

Do you seem to find square pegs for round holes?

MGA can helpyou better source, attract, evaluate and retain the best. When you put people in jobs where the demands match their abilities, the stimulation matches their interest and the cultural demands of the job match who they are: